SALT

When it comes to cooking, there are many things that can make or break the final dish, but how you season it might just be the biggest. Adding salt during cooking, and again when finishing your masterpiece can mean the difference between a meal that is bland and one that is full flavored and enjoyable.

As you browse through your Fresh 20 menu each week, you may notice that kosher and sea salts make a frequent appearance. What’s the difference between the two? Why kosher salt in a vinaigrette instead of sea salt, or even common table salt? The differences in these two salts is subtle, but just enough to change the way you think about them using them.

Kosher salt is an inexpensive, cooking salt, that has gained in popularity and availability over the last few years. It is made using a brine and evaporation process that creates diamond-like crystals. This salt is used by many chefs in their cooking, as they like that it is a salt without additives (iodine is added to common table salt) that creates a burst of salty flavor with its coarse grains. When shopping for kosher salt, be sure to read the ingredients. Some brands have an anti-caking agent that is added. In your Fresh 20 menus, you’ll find that it is also used in everyday cooking when seasoning sautés, creating marinades for meat dishes and bringing a full flavor to vinaigrettes.

Sea salt, which has also become more common place in recent years, is a salt harvested using a method that creates soft, light crystals, making it an excellent finishing salt. A light sprinkle of sea salt on a finished dish will bring a full, salt flavor with each bite, that is just enough to enhance the dish and not overpower. It doesn’t need to be saved just for savory dishes either. Adding a pinch of sea salt to a dessert can compliment the sweetness, making for a fuller flavor. It is especially delicious when paired with chocolate and caramel.

Cooking with kosher and sea salts doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, you’ll quickly notice the difference these two unique salts will make in the flavor and enjoyment of your Fresh 20 meals, making them another useful pantry staple.